


The Rat and the  Dog

by JosieRuby1



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Betrayal, Friendship, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-14
Packaged: 2018-09-17 11:37:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9321818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosieRuby1/pseuds/JosieRuby1
Summary: Peter was their friend and he broke Sirius' heart.





	

                                                                     The Rat and the Dog

It was the Christmas Holidays of their second year at Hogwarts. James had been called home by his parents because they were going on holiday for the break and wanted their son to come with them. Remus had gone home because after a few difficult full moons, he wanted some home comforts. Sirius had stayed, the fights with his parents were slowly getting worse and he didn’t want to deal with it at Christmas of all times. Peter had stayed for Sirius’ sake, to keep him company.

The Christmas break was mostly spent in the library. Remus, no doubt, would’ve been shocked and impressed to find this out. Sirius was desperate to work out how they were going to turn themselves into animals for Remus. Sirius was desperate to help the friend that did so much to help him.

“What animal will you be?” Peter asked him, half hidden behind a pile of books.

Sirius grinned, “I’m gonna be a dog.” He told him. “Because of my name. What about you?”

“I dunno,” Peter said. “I think something small, like a rat?”

“What if Moony crushes you?” Sirius asked, eyes wide in dramatized panic.

Peter only laughed. “Then I’ll jump on your back for safety.”

Sirius considered this for a moment “Fair. But rats have a reputation of being traitors.”

Peter wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “I’d never betray you lot.”

\--

It was the summer holidays between fourth year. Sirius had had a fight with his brother which had led to his Mother laying into him both mentally and physically. Sirius was shaken. Never had he quite felt that every person in the household despised him. He needed company and with James on holiday and Remus visiting family in the north, Peter was his go-to option. He met the other at Hogsmeade.

The second Peter had seen Sirius looking shaken and lost, he had taken his friend’s hand and led him into the Three Broomsticks and got them both butterbeer. He was then quiet, letting Sirius stare at his cup silently until he was ready to talk.

\--

Midway through their fifth year and Sirius found himself alone for the first time since he had started Hogwarts. Guilt and anger and regret raced through him as he sat on his bed physically shaking from pent up energy. Stupid. Stupid. He had been to stupid, hadn’t thought, had never meant… And now he had lost everything.

“Siri.”

Sirius looked up as the weight of someone else sitting was pressed onto his bed. Peter was sat in front of him, a nervous and worried expression on his face.

“You here to shout at me too?” Sirius asked, coolly, flicking his hair out of his face.

“Stop that,” Peter told him impatiently. “You don’t have the right to be feeling sorry for yourself right now.”

“Tough shit,” Sirius shrugged, a smirk playing on his face.

Peter frowned and slapped him. It wasn’t harsh and it barely hurt, but it was enough to bring Sirius to attention. Sirius’ eyes darted to look right at his friend.

“Remus and James are furious but they will come around,” Peter told him. “You’re not gonna be alone after this.”

Sirius bit his lip and nodded, “Thanks, Pete.”

\--

They finished Hogwarts but rather than starting their new life, their free life as adult wizards and witches, they were pulled into a war they were too young to be fighting. At 20, James and Lily had to go into hiding and they had to keep moving. Sirius couldn’t believe that someone amongst them was the traitor, that one of them would do that.

“We’ll protect them,” Sirius reassured a shaking and nervous Peter who didn’t want the responsibility. He held him close, telling him that it didn’t matter who had the secret because none of them would betray Lily and James.

“Never,” Peter repeated, calming down slightly in Sirius’ arms.

\--

At 21, Sirius Black’s world crumbled around him. James, Lily, Peter, all dead and Remus; his dear Remus, responsible for it. Sirius broke, a grief that had no words filled him leaving nothing for the dementors when he was thrown into Azkaban.

\--

In the shrieking shack, twelve years on, Sirius could hardly believe in eyes. Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin stood in front of him looking aged, while James looked exactly the same. Only, of course it wasn’t James, it was Harry. And Peter was the murderer, not Remus.

Sirius’ heart broke all over again as he was faced with the two. Peter who had cared for and forgiven him so many times over the years. Hatred filled Sirius and it was some miracle that he wasn’t successful in committing the first thirteenth of the murders he was imprisoned for.

\--

Alone again, in Grimmauld Place, Sirius grieved all over again. He grieved for James and Lily’s untimely deaths. He grieved for the friend who had betrayed them in the worst was. He grieved for the life wasted. He grieved and grieved, his only gratitude was never seeing Peter again, never having to face that betrayal again.


End file.
